Engineered Tapes

The Static Problem

Electrostatic charging generates a significant amount of unwanted and potentially damaging electromagnetic interference (EMI) through both triboelectric and inductive charging. The charging occurs primarily in and around electronic component manufacturing, but can occur in a wide variety of manufacturing environments. In many cases, electrostatic charging can be powerful enough to disrupt the normal functions of the electrical equipment and/or damage the components or boards being manufactured which, if not detected, could possibly cause failure later in the product’s lifecycle.

ESD causes upwards of 33% of all product losses in the manufacture and use of microprocessor-based electronic circuit boards, components and electrical products. The cost of failure from electrostatic charging increases by a factor of 10 at every step from the initial manufacture of the individual components to subassembly, test, burn-in, retail and to final product use by customers.

ESD HardCoat™ static dissipative tapes have proven to be an effective solution to manufacturers electrostatic charging problems but not all ESD tapes are equal.

Operation	ESD Tape	Non-ESD Tape
Remove Liner	<100v	>2500v
Remove Tape from Aluminum	<100v	>2500v
Remove Tape from PCB	100v	>2500v

The Polyonics ESD HardCoat™ tapes eliminate ESD by dissipating static charges and by reducing any charging when the liners are peeled from the tapes or when the tapes are removed (chart below). Using its TriboGard technology, Polyonics manufactures tapes that help prevent damage to components, boards and devices. These ESD HardCoat™ tapes help solve the most extreme electrostatic problems caused by both the human body (HBM) and charged device (CDM) models. They are ideally suited for specialty die-cut converters and OEMs working in the electronics, automotive, aerospace and medical industries.

The TriboGard technology includes a variety of specially formulated conductive elements in a durable, cross-linked polymer matrix. The resulting chemical and thermally resistant coatings offer a surface resistance in the range (10⁵-10⁹ ohms)―ideal dissipative properties to help reduce the buildup of electrostatic charges

In addition, a dual function ESD and halogen-free flame retardant option is available. Other custom constructions are readily accommodated.

The surface resistances of tapes are tested per STD ANSI/ ESD STM.11.11-2006 to ensure that customers receive the best materials for their ESD applications.

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